Hunting a Shadow
by TheRealSokka
Summary: A look at the Eighth Brother before he engages the Jedi on Malachor


**Hunting a Shadow**

-There was no sound surrounding the forgotten Sith temple on Malachor. The air itself seemed subdued by the towering presence of the ancient pyramid, still as intimidating as when it had been built, even in the absence of its inhabitants.

-Deep inside the vast cavern, there was barely any light. Safe for a few beams from the dying sun, breaking through cracks in the surface far above, the Sith temple was completely steeped in darkness. One of them illuminated a ragged plain right at the foot of the pyramid and shone its faint light on a strangely silent group of people, still locked in an ancient battle. They stood there unmoving, as they had for many ages now.

-One of the statues was beginning to grow restless.

-He stood on a plateau overlooking the scene, amidst two dead Jedi who still clung to their lightsabers. It was a perfect disguise. Even his breathing had slowed down, to the point where someone could have stood directly in front of the three statues and not have noticed a difference.

-Patience was key. And unlike his colleagues, he had abundance of it. Enough to stand his watch here with the silent Jedi and Sith for days. Enough to wait for his moment.

-Still, something should have happened by now.

-Hours ago, he had felt a sense of anticipation that could only mean one thing: His prey was about to emerge from the shadows. It was a vague feeling and there had been nothing to confirm it; no movement in his vision, no presence in the force. But the statue-like hunter trusted his instincts. _He_ would show, and very soon.

-It still unnerved him that his connection to the Dark Side had not enabled him to track his prey, as he would have done normally. The dark presence of the temple overshadowed everything; it was impossible to make out a single pool of darkness in this twisting sea. Fortunately, the same held true for his opponent. They were both equally blind. Or so the hunter hoped; otherwise this trap was obsolete from the start.

-Much to his dismay, he had had to rely on the technology of his ship to even get a hint that his prey was really here. His scanners had just picked up the faint trace of a lifeform, very close to the grand pyramid, before it vanished underground, out of reach. It hadn't returned since.

-It didn't matter, the Inquisitor told himself. The Shadow was not one to hide in the darkness forever; whether he had found what he was looking for or not, he would soon make his way back to the surface. Where he would be ready for him.

-It would be his greatest accomplishment. The Sith would certainly be more than pleased with him once he returned with the news of their foe's death. Even more so if he managed to retrieve the secret of the temple as well. He allowed himself to dwell on that moment for a few seconds, the moment when he would kneel before his master and present the proof of his victory. The Inquisitor revelled in the feeling. It was a taste of satisfaction that he was determined achieve.

-He had been one of the last to pass the rigorous selection process of the Inquisitorial, thus only being given the low ranking number of eight. His brothers and sisters never tired of mocking him for it. Sure, in the books, the Inquisitors were equal, but that didn't stop those with more experience-or what they took for it, he thought with disgust- to cement their rank above his. And it wasn't purely symbolic either: The most precious contracts, the ones that offered real chances, often went to Three and the like, to those who could claim to have the ear of the Sith. No matter how efficient he was, more often than not he would be overshadowed by his more noticeable colleagues. And for the longest time, there was nothing he could do about it other than grind his teeth and remain silent.

-Then the Grand Inquisitor had perished at the hands of a Jedi.

-Suddenly, there was the chance. Eight had seen it immediately and had been quickest to act in the confusion that ensued. While his colleagues were still reeling from the unexpected blow that called all their invulnerability into question, he had executed his missions with new fervour, securing no less than five force-sensitive children for the Emperor. On the way, he had even clashed with the dangerous Black Sun syndicate over one of the younglings and had brought back the head of one of its leaders as an additional trophy. The injuries he had sustained during that encounter had forced him to abandon the hunt for a time, but by then he had truly earned his reputation as a brutally efficient servant of the Empire. He knew that it was now only a matter of time before the Sith would take notice of him.

-It all seemed to amount to nothing: Seven and Five were granted the honor of hunting down the murderer of the Grand Inquisitor, putting them first in the race for his succession, while he was overlooked, as always. When the news reached him, he had been this close to killing the messenger where he stood. Only his discipline had stopped the blade inches from the terrified man's throat. _Patience_ , he had told himself, again and again, _your chance will come._ Maybe they would fail, like the Grand Inquisitor had in his arrogance. There would be more opportunities, more foes to hunt.

-Then, out of the blue, he had received a call from Lord Vader himself, calling the Inquisitor to his fortress on Mustafar. That alone was a high honor; in any case it meant that your service had been noted. The Eighth Brother had been eager to obey. Maybe his efforts were finally paying off.

-When the Sith had then assigned him his new target, he had been both shocked and thrilled. It was no force-child, nor even a Jedi. No; he was to hunt down none other than the legendary Sith warrior whose fighting technique had inspired the installation of the Inquisitorial in the first place: Darth Maul. The silent Shadow of the Emperor, cut to pieces and abandoned, forgotten, before emerging again as ruler of Mandalore and wielder of the Darksaber. And now a constant thorn in the Emperor's side, with his whereabouts unknown since the Clone Wars. A warrior that had turned both Jedi and Sith against him, and managed to survive.

-And he was _his_ prey.

-Eight knew the implications. Maul was infamous for a reason; his fighting style was near without flaw and only few Jedi had been able to survive an encounter with him. And no matter how strong with the force he was, the Inquisitor knew well enough that he couldn't hold a torch to the foes Maul had fought and defeated. Thus, despite his delight over such a chance, he was aware that the odds on this mission were not in his favour. He would need all his skills, could not allow himself a single mistake. There were no second chances.

-But Eight was quick. He was patient. And he was skilled with the blade, in some ways more so than his higher ranking brothers, though they would never admit that. Combined, it might just be enough to take on The Shadow. After the initial awe of his new task, he had spent days in the archives of Mustafar; studying the Sith warrior's technique, learning about his history, absorbing every bit of information about him that was available. Anything that might give him an edge in the confrontation. He had been surprised to learn that Maul's prowess had been inflated in some ways: For instance, he had apparently not carried the weapon that was always associated with him, the deadly dual blade, since his first 'death' on Naboo, instead fighting with an ordinary single on all confirmed sightings afterwards. Added to that was his age; even for a Zabrak, his fighting years should well be past. The Eighth Brother would not make the mistake of underestimating him for it, he wasn't that foolish. The Shadow would still be his toughest opponent yet. But it made his task seem a little more achievable.

-The hunt could begin.

-There had been rumours that The Shadow was on the forbidden world of Malachor, and thus Eight had moved to investigate, admittedly with some reluctance. He had heard stories about this place; legends, dating even before the time of the Emperor. They had always seemed too fantastical to be true.

-But upon his arrival, he had immediately felt it: The immense concentration of the Dark Side; a maelstrom of energy, dormant just beneath the surface of the dead planet. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before; even the Sith Lord didn't emit such an intimidating presence. Once he got over his initial surprise, he steered his TIE straight towards this anomaly: He knew instinctively that if The Shadow was indeed on Malachor, this had to be the reason. And indeed; once he discovered the entrance to the cavern, he found it already opened. That was when his ship had detected the small hint of life down in the depths of the temple.

-With great care, Eight had steered his TIE down into the cave and sealed the entrance behind him; this way he would know if someone attempted to leave by this route. His eagerness had almost driven him to pursue the trail from the last confirmed location he had, but in the end, his caution triumphed. After all, he knew enough about Sith temples not to venture deeper into its depths and possibly stir something up, something potentially deadlier than his prey. Better to wait for Maul to come up to _him_ , where he knew the terrain. He instantly realized that he had made the right decision when he came across the forest of lifelike statues close to the pyramid. It might just be the last advantage he needed. With this disguise, and the energy of the temple masking his presence, so he reasoned, he could surprise the Sith once he ventured out into the open. With complete surprise on his side, the battle would be half won.

-Since then, he had been lying in wait.

-He had his ship's scanners permanently activated and set to scan the entire temple, with the results being transmitted to his HUD. It wasn't paranoia: The Shadow had earned his title for a reason. He was silent, deadly, and often too fast for the Emperor's foes to even realize he was there. In this sense, he was everything the Inquisitor aspired to be. Despite his well laid out trap, he would no risk being the one who got caught by surprise.

-The Eighth Brother shifted ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly. Despite his patience, he was experiencing a growing unrest, something that went beyond the pure monotony of his situation. He tried his best to ignore it; it didn't tell him anything and thus wasn't helpful to his task. With a quick glance behind the helmet, he checked for his blade and his mine-detonators. A sign of uncertainty, he knew. He would have been lying to himself if he claimed that the dark pyramid behind him didn't make him uneasy. In some vague form, it unsettled him more than the knowledge that The Shadow was somewhere out there. Whatever it was the ancient Sith had buried here, it was not to be trifled with. He would relish the moment when he could leave this place.

-Then he felt a presence.

-His muscles tensed. A rush of adrenaline rushed through him. He didn't need to check his scanners to feel the movement coming towards him. His hands clenched once and then resumed their still position, preparing for the fight. This was what he had been waiting for all this time; he could sense the success right around the corner. Maul would be his, the force had promised Eight that he wouldn't fail…

-Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. _Wait.._. This was strange: he could feel the presence far too clearly. It was nothing like what he had expected his prey to feel like; it was far too distinct from the darkness of the Sith temple. But this place had been abandoned for eons now, there was no reason why anyone else…

-Three figures came into view. The Inquisitor remained perfectly still, not a single muscle moving. But when the people came closer, it became painfully obvious that none of them was his prey. It was two humans and a Togruta, walking almost casually, examining the scene with apparent awe. He controlled his anger and disappointment with effort. He should have seen it sooner: The Shadow would never move around this territory so carelessly. And he never relied on others. He had no allies. These, these were an annoyance, nothing more. Though there was something about them…

-It didn't matter. The Eighth Brother's arm moved in slow motion, reaching behind his back for his dual-blade. He would destroy these intruders before they could stir up the sleeping menace of the temple, and then he would continue the hunt. The Shadow would be sure to require all his focus; he could not allow any distractions.


End file.
